Apparel company donating profits from COVID-19 shirts to Vernon mission

A Vernon clothing company is spreading COVID-19 awareness on the fronts of its shirts, all while raising funds for the struggling Upper Room Mission.

Courtney Brucks has released a new line of shirts on her online Etsy shop, Wild North Creations.

The baseball-style shirts are designed to help encourage awareness of those most vulnerable to the novel coronavirus.

On March 22, Brucks was on the phone with her mother, who is immunocompromised and has to wear a mask at all times when in public.

“I was thinking of a way to help her feel more comfortable and safe about it, which gave me the idea to make the shirt for her.”

The shirts display the hashtag #wearethevulnerable, with variations for those who are immunocompromised or vulnerable due to age or chronic illness.

Out of appreciation for frontline workers, Brucks also designed a shirt for those working amid the pandemic.

“This includes not only medical staff, but the grocery store workers, child-care providers, truck drivers, farmers, essential service workers, and those who have made it their mission to reach out and serve others in need,” Brucks said on social media.

“My husband is out there doing his duty as a licensed practical nurse, and I’m grateful to be able to do my part from home,” Brucks said.

All funds generated from sales of the shirts will be donated to Vernon’s Upper Room Mission, which has been forced into a temporary closure due to serious financial strain.

A mother of two, Brucks struggles with her own chronic illnesses, which in part gave her the idea to design shirts for people with different health vulnerabilities.

But no matter what vulnerability a person has, the message on the shirt is the same: “I do my part, please do yours.”